According to one influential piece of research, disadvantaged children hear 30 million fewer words than their peers. Early years expert James Hempsall explores efforts to address the language gap.
With funds lacking to meet families' expectations of special educational needs and disability services, parents and practitioners have pursued education, health and care plans to obtain support, worsening the cash crisis.
The government has a goal to create at least three million apprenticeships by 2020, with many of these placements being targeted at vulnerable and disadvantaged groups of young people, writes Derren Hayes.
As part of a wider drive to improve the status of vocational training, successive governments in recent years have developed policies to boost the number and quality of apprenticeship places.
The gap between disadvantaged children and better-off peers is narrowing slowly, but policymakers are developing innovative programmes to boost the academic achievement of those struggling at school.